The Vanished Princesses, A Tale of Two Sisters COMPLETE
by Fonix Girl
Summary: This is a companion story of the Elemental Spiral, mostly for Warrior and Halfling. They contain records mentioned in Halfling and Warrior, the journals and letters of their mothers discovered by Selene Celeste Fonix and Luciano Gedonelune. (The second pairing is meant to be Aulelia (Luca's mom) and Luca's biological father.)
1. Introduction

Introduction

 _The Vanished Princesses, A Tale of Two Sisters_ is a collection comprised of several things. This includes the compiled diary entries of Princess Aulelia Ember Gedonelune, excerpts of the journals of Princess Aurora Twilight March née Gedonelune, and some of the letters sent between them. All of these detail the story of two royal sisters, who both disappeared from public eye for very different reasons.

Princess Aurora eloped with the man she loved, Randy March, fleeing with him to a world though by many to only exist in faery tales. There, she raised a family of seven boy-children, created with Randy, and an eighth child, a girl-child, who was conceived with a new lover (who was forcibly taken after a month) after Randy's unfortunate and untimely death.

Princess Aulelia was hidden away through no choice of her own. Upon finding out she was pregnant out of wedlock, her father, King Roderick, hid her away from public eye. It was there she remained for months until giving birth to her son, an event which she gave her life for, mere days after learning her lover had been killed due to an accident of nature's doing.

The families of Princesses Aurora and Aulelia have graciously agreed to release the contents of these documents to the public, in hopes of being able to set history straight about the two women who had to deal in secrets in order to protect the ones they loved.

The following works have been annotated by:

Selene Celeste Silber née Fonix

and

Luciano Solandre Gedonelune.


	2. Aulelia, Journal 1

**Aulelia**

January 1487 PD

I have decided to give keeping a journal another go. So often I start them, and then forget about them after an entry or two. It's my sister, Rora (37), who was the record keeper. But she's gone, and has been for nearly a year, so I suppose that it's time for me to pick up the slack. Wil (52) isn't going to do it. He's too distraught over losing Rora, and has been in a frenzy to find her.

I can't blame him. I miss Rora, too. She wasn't kidnapped, I know that much. Wil and Rora have the whole twin-magic (50) thing, where one knows if the other is in danger or is hurt. She went willingly, wherever she went. I just wish she would've told us. But I suppose it's really Father (15) she doesn't want knowing, because skies know that Wil can't keep a secret to save his life. I wish I knew where she went, or at least why. I could content myself with a why.

I suppose I must go, for I don't have much more I wish to say at the moment, but I'm going to do something different this time—only keeping track of the more important, interesting things instead of day-to-day drabbles. It was a suggestion Conrad (8) made to me when I brought it up.

* * *

Annotations:

8) **Conrad** : Refers to Conrad Schuyler, once the youngest Royal Advisor of King Roderick, now a teacher at the Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy. Friend of the late Princess Aulelia and legal guardian of Luciano Gedonelune.

15) **Father** : Refers to the late King Roderick Johnathan Gedonelune. Married to the late Aurora Gedonelune (née Fraunces), father of King Wilikin Gedonelune, Princess Aurora Gedonelune, and Princess Aulelia Gedonelune.

37) **Rora** : Refers to the late Princess Aurora Twilight March (née Gedonelune), the oldest of the two Vanished Princesses. Married to the late Randy March. Mother of Johnathan March (deseased), Matthias March, Orion March (deseased), Matthew Tailor-March, Inan March, Wade March, Eric March, Merlin March, and Selene Celeste Fonix.

50) **Twin-Magic** : There have been studies since this time that have proved that in certain cases, twins do have something similar to an empath link. It is more common in identical twins than in fraternal, but it does occur. However, this link has only ever been found in cases where both twins possess magic.

52) **Wil** : Refers to King Wilikin Johnathan Gedonelune, then only crown prince. Married to Queen Levana Gedonelune (née Mogenes), father of Prince Roderick Gedonelune, Princess Aurora Gedonelune, Princess Ariel Gedonelune, Prince Peter Gedonelune, and Prince Reynold Gedonlune.


	3. Aurora, Journal 1

**Aurora**

April 1485 PD

I've left behind all my previous journals. I didn't deem them necessary. I suppose I should tell my story, starting with coming over to Terra (44).

I was married today, by a Terran official. I can barely understand the language, but Randy (35) has been teaching me, and very happily translated everything for me. This language, English (13), is confusing, but I'm sure I'll be able to pick it up. After this entry, I think I'll start writing in it. Well, perhaps I'll wait. Randy has been putting together a translation dictionary of sorts for me, so once that's done I'll start writing my journal in English.

We've been here a year exactly, as of today, and I've a child on the way. According to the Terran healers (they're called doctors here), it's a boy. I'm supposed to be due in about five and a half months. I'm both terrified and excited. I'll be a mother!

This should have probably been started much earlier. I feel so unmotivated to write my life story, so I shall start from here. A fresh start, yes, that sounds about right.

I'm Aurora Twilight March, as of today. With the severing of my maiden name, I feel like I've left behind the person I used to be. It's such a relief, and I feel so incredibly lightened. I'm a new person, married to the man I love, a child on the way. Nothing could be better.

The only regret I have about leaving my old home is leaving Wil and Lia (25) behind. My twin (49) and younger sister. I miss them dreadfully, but to contact them now would likely get Randy and my unborn son killed. And that is not going to happen.

Wil, I know, is probably tearing up the country looking for me. I hope he lets it be one day and learns how to heal from what I did. I feel guilty for hurting him, but if I could go back and change my choices, I wouldn't.

Perhaps one day I can kindle a communication with Lia. She's the calmer of my siblings, and better at keeping secrets. Perhaps in a few years, I can figure out how to make contact with her, once everything over there has settled down a bit.

There's so much more I could write here, but Randy wishes to show me these things, called films that someone introduced him to. There's a theatre (it's not for live performances, however) that isn't terribly far from where we are living (our house that we want is just barely being started) where they are having something called a "Disney Marathon" where they're showing all the movies created by a man named Walt Disney. It's sure to be interesting, and Randy was incredibly excited. So I'll bid the pen and paper adieu, for now.

* * *

Annotations:

13) **English** : This is the main language of the Terran countries of, among others, the United States of America (where Princess Aurora lived), the United Kingdom, and Australia.

25) **Lia** : Refers to Princess Aulelia Ember Gedonelune. Lover of the late Lord Luciano Orudeus, mother of Luciano Gedonelune.

35) **Randy** : Refers to Randy Merlin March. Husband of Princess Aurora Twilight March (née Gedonelune), father of Johnathan March (deceased), Matthias March, Orion March (deseased), Matthew Tailor-March, Inan March, Wade March, Eric March, and Merlin March. Specializing in time-magic, he traveled back several decades in time at the age of 16 and remained there, eventually eloping with Princess Aurora, but died before he was born in his original time. He was of genius-level intelligence.  
35.1) It is debatable whether his death was truly an accident, or if it was Time making sure that there were no time-paradoxes, such as two of the same person existing at the same time. The debate is made more complicated by the fact that Mr. March was living on Terra at the time of death, instead of in Myula, the world where he was born.

44) **Terra** : In the tri-connected dimensions, Terra is at the bottom in terms of magical content. Magic is not naturally a part of this world. It is a world of mostly humans. However, there is significantly more technological advancement in this world as opposed to the other two, Myula and Elementum, due to the lack of magic leading to these advances.

49) **Twins** : King Wilikin Gedonelune and Princess Aurora March (née Gedonlune) were born twins.


	4. Aulelia, Journal 2

**Aulelia**

November 1487 PD

I feel a little guilty. I haven't written in over a year. But I guess I haven't felt as if there was anything important to write about. The searches for my sister have increased, but I feel as if hope of finding Rora is fading.

Father yelled at Wil today, telling him he needed to pull himself together if he was ever going to rule this country. Father didn't know I was sitting in the room, hidden behind the curtains like a child. I guess you could call it instinct. Rory and I would always hide here when Father came to "talk" to Wil.

Yell, more like it. I love Father, I do, but I've always hated how stern and harsh he can be with us, especially Wil. I understand that taking care of a country is stressful, but it's not like he's doing it all by himself. Not only does he have all sorts of counsellors and advisors and the like, but he has Wil. Wil has been doing so much lately that I feel as if he's running himself into the ground. Not to mention his searches for Rora are becoming more frantic.

I think that's the big problem with him. He misses her dearly, and the stress of her disappearing is tearing him in two—one half is throwing itself into his royal duties in order to try and distract him, and the other half is struggling harder and harder to try and find her.

I miss Rora. She was the strong one of us three. Not physically, but mentally. When Mother (31) died, Rora took on so many of her duties, including helping Wil and I through it. She would've made a wonderful mother to some wonderful children one day, but now I don't know what her fate is.

She's alive, that much we know. Her jewel on the tapestry tree (22) is still glowing. She's alive but dare I say it, I almost wish she were dead. I love her, so much, and I wish she was back, but if her not being here is destroying Wil this much, I'd rather that stupid jewel stop giving him false hope and stop glowing so he can heal.

I'm a horrible sister for thinking that, aren't I?

* * *

Annotations:

22) **Jewel/Tapestry Tree** : Refers to a magical tapestry that displays the most recent 10 generations of the Gedonelune Royal Family. Every time a person is born into it, a glowing jewel is added with a name beneath it. Every time a member of the royal family dies, the jewel attached to their name stops glowing.

31) **Mother** : Refers to the late Queen Aurora Aulelia Gedonelune (née Fraunces). Married to the late King Roderick Gedonelune, mother of King Wilikin Gedonelune, Princess Aurora Gedonelune, and Princess Aulelia Gedonelune.


	5. Aulelia, Journal 3

**Aulelia**

December 1487 PD

Wil's been engaged. To a duke's daughter from Suron43. Her name is Lady Levana (23), of the house of Mogenes (19). I've never met her, nor even heard of her. But she's apparently a very respectable lady. Which translates to, probably, her being deadly dull. As long as she ends up making Wil happy, I suppose. His coronation will be about a year after the actual wedding, so in about two years. My Father thinks (as I've been eavesdropping again, which isn't as fun without Rora there) that giving Wil a year with his pretty young wife to enjoy himself will bring him out of his slump and make a king out of him. I'm not quite sure if it works that way, but I do hope that Wil cheers up. At the very least, he has a couple years to pull himself together before Father gives up the throne to him.

I suppose it's true, what they say about twins (49.1). Losing one can make the other feel like something is missing. Wil's a lot quieter than he used to be. And he stopped painting, which used to be his favorite thing to do with Rora. I used to sit in their art room (1) with my sketchbook (I prefer to draw rather than paint) and observe the two of them making complete messes of themselves, yet somehow creating something beautiful on a canvas. They were always so happy when they got time to paint, even though those times were fewer as they got older and had more royal responsibilities.

Of course, most people forget about me so I never had so much to do as them, particularly as I enjoy being out of the limelight with my books and sketchpad. I'm actually in their art room, right now, curled in my old spot of the window ledge where there was always the best lighting, no matter the time of day or night. It still smells like paint even though it's been almost three years since this room has been used. It's dusty in here, too, so no servants have come in to clean. Not that they ever did. Rora and Wil always cleaned in here, saying that an artist is responsible for their own messes.

I think I'll pick up my wand and attempt some of those nifty cleaning spells Rora was always so good at. Just to get rid of the dust. She hated leaving messes, especially in her creative space. "Messy while working, clean when leaving," as she would always say.

I miss her.

* * *

Annotations:

1) **Art Room** : The room Prince Wilikin and Princess Aurora used as children and adolescents to create art. Other than the mentioned use in Princess Aulelia's journal, the room has remained unused and untouched since Princess Aurora "vanished" at age nineteen.

19) **House of Mogenes** : The royal house of Suron.

23) **Lady Levana** : Refers to Lady Levana Ariel Mogenes, the youngest child of the ruling family in Suron.

49.1) This annotation is merely to point out that twins are not uncommon in the Gedonelune line, but there is an interesting twist to it. There has never in recorded history been two boys making up a set of twins in this family line—only either two girls or a girl and a boy.


	6. Aurelia, Journal 4

**Aulelia**

August 1488 PD

I met the most interesting man at my Wil's engagement party. His hair, if you can believe it, was green! Naturally so, if Luciano (26) (which was his name) was to be believed. He was one of the members of the party that traveled here with Lady Levana. He was funny, and kept making me laugh. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much. He told me he was a noble from Suron (43), the son of a earl, if I remember correctly. Grew up with Lady Levana, who was like an older sister to him.

The lady herself was quite kind, and not nearly so dull as I'd been expecting. She actually got Wil to smile, a real, genuine smile! That alone puts her in my good books. I hope we get along from here on out. I didn't get to talk to her long, as many people vied for her attention, but I learned that she likes reading novels, and doing complicated embroidery.

Back to Luciano. He told me about his plans to one day open a school for children, common children. He said something along the lines of;

"Most nobles seems to be scared of letting their subjects learn. I think it's a good thing. If they're allowed to learn, they can better use their talents. Meaning that the ones who might have extraordinary talents can help make the country better."

He also said that the the nobles who were really against it usually tended to be the corrupt ones, that it was easier to abuse an ignorant people than an educated one. It's true and I completely agree.

I more than agree, actually. My father has recently decided to open up the royal magic academy (39) to all students with enough magical ability, not just those of noble or royal birth like it's almost strictly been (excluding a few more extraordinary cases). Wil's planning, once he becomes king, to open it to girls, too! It would be revolutionary! No more would girls like Rora and I have to learn how to control our magic in secret or only be allowed to use it for healing. This could change everything!

I completely support any ideas to further education for everyone. We're all human, after all, and we should be treated as such. Besides, like Luca (which is what he insisted I call him) said, what if one of those kids ends up doing something major one day, like finding the cure for an epidemic, or saving the country from nonhuman invaders? I think I'll start pestering Father to open schools for non-magic children, so they can learn reading and writing and maths, at the very least. Noble and merchant children normally get to, because those families can hire private tutors or boarding schools, but not so many of the children of the working class, and it's completely unfair.

Maybe this whole engagement thing has been good for Wil and I. I know I've got a motivation, something that I haven't had in a long time. Not since Rora left.

* * *

Annotations:

26) **Luciano** : Refers to the late Lord Luciano Leone Orudeus of Suron, lover of Princess Aulelia and father of Luciano Gedonelune.

39) **Royal Magic Academy** : Refers to the Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy, the only formal school of magic in Gedonelune, and one of the most specialized schools of magic in Myula.

43) **Suron** : A kingdom to the southeast of Gedonelune, on the other side of Geranan, which is the country along the southeastern border of Gedonelune.


	7. Aurora, Journal 2

**Aurora**

October 1488 PD

It's been, by this point, nearly four years since I've come to Terra with Randy. I know I haven't written nearly as much as I used to in the times before this, but I do have a good reason, what with Jonny and Matthias taking up too much time, not to mention the new little boy on the way.

I've finally done it. After several tries over the course of these past few weeks, I've done it. I've finally written the letter to Lia. It's several pages long, and explains everything I need to tell her. About Randy, about why I did what I did, and about what I've done since. I can only pray that she receives it kindly. I won't be able to send it for a few months, however, because Randy has to figure out how to get it over and be able to receive replies without it getting sensed by the transfer regulators.

This is an unusually short entry for me, but Jonny has been begging to go on a walk back in the woods. Now that he's three and can walk entirely independently, he loves going on walks with me. Randy has been gone for a few days, as you know, but he should be returning tomorrow. He doesn't want me going out in the woods when he's not home (at least not with both the boys) because he's worried someone will end up getting hurt and I won't have enough arms to carry with my belly the size it is. But skies above, I'm strapping the year-old Matthias to my back and Jonny and I are going in a walk in the woods. It's too lovely a fall day to spend inside, all sunny and bright.


	8. Aurora, Letter 1

December 1488 PD

Sweetest Lia,

I know I did something awful to you. But I'm begging for you to let me explain, why I left, why I've stayed away, everything.

I'll begin with my arraigned engagement. You know most of the story there, and were against it with me, my ally. Berdolt (3) is not the nicest of men, as you know, and he was in no way someone I could even think of coming to love. But there was another man I did love, one I love with all my heart and magic. His name is Randy.

I met Randy about a year before I left. Remember that visit into Stargate (42), where I was separated from you and the guards, and then turned up at the inn that evening? You were all a fret, worried sick. I'm still very sorry about that, by the way, it was really just me stopping to look at something, only to look up and everyone was gone! But you see, I was helped in the unfamiliar streets by an oddly fascinating man. Randy. Before taking me back, he showed me around a while, completely unaware I was a royal, treating me as if I was no more than a nicely-dressed merchant's daughter (which were the reason we purchased those clothes, if you recall). It was almost like a date, in the end, the kind common girls who don't have to worry about arranged marriages get to have. I must apologize for not telling you the truth back then, but I wanted to keep it to myself. It was special, and entirely mine. Not something attached to my royal duties or responsibilities. Not a choice someone made for me. Not a time where you and I slipped into the castle town, where all the places were familiar and the people know us. It gave me what the idea of being free was, and I wanted to guard it as my own personal secret.

It was a few months until I saw Randy again, this time in town. Two nights before your sixteenth birthday (41), and I went into town (47) secretly, without telling you. I wanted to get your birthday present, see, and couldn't exactly give you any suspicions. I left in the evening, after we supposedly retired to our individual chambers for the night. I slipped out my window and down the trellis, sneaking out of the castle through a servants entrance, one we normally avoided when we go together during the day time. The servants were retired for the day so it was a faster route than our usual one.

This was the first time I had snuck out without you or Wil with me, and the first time I had been out in the evening instead of the day. I was a little scared, but I had made sure to bring the knife Wil had gotten me for our last birthday, concealed in the waistband of the trousers I had nicked from his room. With my chest bound and the shirt of Wil's I was wearing—in addition to my hair being tucked up under a pageboy hat I had Wil's squire, Ethan, procure for me (I was very thankful that my hair had just been trimmed a few inches only a few days before)—I looked very like a lad on the cusp of manhood. Ethan was very helpful, from the hat to the shoes he lent me, particularly when I told him I was trying to get you a present. Remember how he had that adorable little crush on you, before he found his now-wife? Anywho, I was in town. At night. By myself.

Streets that were so familiar in the day were warped at night, and a very different kind of aura was there. It was mostly in my head, as I later realized on other nighttime treks I made. Just different, not necessarily scary. I ended up running into Randy, making a total fool of myself and falling over (I wasn't used to the shoes, which, despite two pairs of socks and being tightly tied, were still slightly too big), knocking my hat off. After very kindly helping me up, Randy, who is a very intelligent man (I'm convinced he's genius-level, though he normally tries to downplay it!), recognized me. He asked what I was doing out so late, night in the streets not being safe for "such a lovely woman" to be out on her own.

You know I'm not much of one to make a fool of myself because a man flirts with me, but Randy wasn't exactly flirting. He was being incredibly genuine. He never says anything, I've learned, unless he believes it to be completely true, at least when it comes to others—as I said earlier, he's incredibly modest (and doesn't even realize he acts that way!).

Skies above! I'm off topic again. Back to the matter at hand:

I told him I was getting my sister a gift for her sixteenth, and he offered to escort me, to "protect" me. It was incredibly sweet how earnest he was, and that combined with how much I had enjoyed his company the last time we were together led me to agree to his coming. He ended up telling me how he had moved into Dragonsilde to work in the library (24), repairing books and such. I was thrilled, though I didn't let on then. This absolutely fascinating man whom I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with was close enough to regularly visit yet simultaneously keep as a secret. Someone just for me. I wasn't the official Princess Aurora Twilight Gedonelune with him—just 18-year-old Aurora, a woman with a bit of magic and a newfound crush.

So that was my second time seeing him, as he accompanied me while I searched for the perfect present for my little sister, you, dear Lia—it was this lovely little pair of emerald earrings, do you remember? You wore them nearly every day, from what I can recall. Do you still have them?

But, moving on: that was the second of many, many meetings. We would meet up, initially, once a week, usually during the day. But then we grew closer, and I started "visiting" the library more, just to see him. We set times to meet up at night, so we could go get dinner somewhere and just talk. We rendezvoused more and more frequently.

But then Father publicly announced my engagement to Berdolt, and that we would be wed within a year. As you know, I didn't know of it myself until the announcement. When I ran out of the room in tears, it wasn't just because I had absolutely no say in the matter and didn't like the Duke, as I told you when you followed to comfort me. It was those things, yes, but it was mostly because that's when it really hit me just how much I had come to love Randy.

Later, I learned he felt the same towards me for far longer than I had realized my own love for him. But he had said nothing, because he didn't want it to change anything between us for the worse, which is what he feared more than anything. The fact that he stayed silent for as long as he needed to, until I figured out just how I felt for him, said more than his telling me, directly, that he loved me.

When I sent you away that night, it was because I had to tell him. I had to tell Randy I loved him and wanted no one but him. I had to tell him who I was, and what was to happen. I wouldn't leave behind this thing unspoken, untold, a huge regretful "what if" for the rest of my days. So, once you left, I told the guard outside my door that I wanted no company tonight, then locked the door, locking all of the palace out.

And I slipped outside onto my balcony, hurrying down the trellis and to the town. I had to find Randy. He was at his lodgings, as we weren't to meet that evening, but the next one. I practically broke down his door with my knocking, and when he opened it, I broke down in his arms. He held me until I could pull myself together enough to tell him everything. Who I was, what was happening. How much I didn't want it to happen. He sat there, quietly listening, until I was done. He hugged me tighter and whispered these words, which I will never forget:

"Run away, with me? I know somewhere we could go where they'll never find us. But only if you wish to leave with me. If you do, I promise I will do all in my power to take care of you and make you happy. You will be my queen, not because of your bloodline, but because I love you more than anything."

I was surprised. I hadn't even thought of it, not one bit. And suddenly, it seemed the best option. The only option where I wouldn't end up miserable. So I very confidently replied that it sounded like a wonderful idea, and when could we leave? He gave me advice on what to take and what not to take. He said that he would get me clothing that would allow me to blend in with our destination, so I'd only need to take things of personal value, and that we would be able to leave at the end of the week. So we set up a time and place to meet, in the forest. He was talented with transportation magic, so he would magically take us there. Impossible to trace, even better. I'm not one for rash decisions, you know, but this ordeal could be considered something akin to rash. But it was worth it and I don't regret it for a moment.

If you'll remember those few days before I left, I was acting as if I was in shock. Father suspected nothing, Wil was worried (of course, he worries far more than he should in general, but I suppose he was right to be worried this time), and you were desperately trying to cheer me up. When the night came, I met him at the place we agreed upon. He had a few bags, but I only had one. Among its contents was that beautiful hair comb that was Mother's—the one Father gave her, back when they were engaged, with the lily made of little blue diamonds. I also have the necklace you gave me for my birthday a few years ago, the silver one with the moonstones, and Wil's gift, the knife. Something connected (7) to everyone in my family, the one I was leaving behind. The rest of what was within was things I felt would help us live, jewels that had been presents I didn't ever use or want, as well as a few of my favorite books on magic (4).

And so Randy and I went to a new world. Remember those stories that Master Teseck (28) would tell us? The ones about the world where the great wizard Merlin (29) opened a huge portal to so all the magical beings could live safely until the time of persecution against magic was over in Myula? Hear, they refer to their world as "Earth," but this Earth is the same Terra we grew up hearing stories about. And while magic is much more difficult to use here, as there is no natural magic here to draw energy from, the people here have thrived without magic! Trains, which are a very new thing in Myula, and are only found in the better-off countries like Gedonelune, have been around for just under two centuries! They have these horseless carriages (21) that run off of non-magical fuel that can take people most anywhere on land! They've even found ways to fly, Lia, in these great bird-like metal contraptions (2)! I'm not sure I would be able to bring myself to ride on them, but Randy really want to be able to at some point. This world has so much more technology than Myula does, and it's all without magic! It's really quite amazing, Lia, and I wish I could show it all to you.

But I can't. I can only send you written letters, and for that I am so, so sorry. And I have to beg you not to tell Wil of this. You see, I have a new life here, and it's not one I can leave, or take back. Not only are Randy and I married and settled in this lovely house (20) we've built in Terra, but I have children. Two little boys, Johnathan (because it's a good family name) and Matthias, after Randy's father. I'm also pregnant with a third, another boy. Jonny is just barely three, and Matthias one. This little boy on the way, either Orion or Wilikin, is only a few months from being born.

If you told Wil, he would immediately use the paper to track and find me (because while I've taken as many precautions as I can, Wil, as crown prince, has far more at his disposal than I do). And you can't tell me he wouldn't try and take me back. Wil would probably get along very well with Randy, and I know he would adore my boys, but Father?

Father would probably have them exiled (if not killed!), even my little baby boys, while I would be locked up in the palace, like a criminal. Father would do anything to avoid a scandal, even if it meant causing his daughter to die of grief. And even if Wil knew where to find me, or that he could, and decided not to come, it would kill him. I've heard rumors, even here in Terra (Randy has to travel on occasion into Myula in order to handle some work), of how he's gone half mad trying to find me. It's part of why I've waited almost five years to contact you. I know he will be able to recover eventually, as long as he doesn't have such a burden as knowing where I am. If he thinks I am gone for good, he'll be able to move on.

Don't get me wrong, sister, I love him dearly and my heart aches because I cannot ever contact him again, not safely, for him or I. You, on the other hand, I know will be able to keep the secrets that keep my children and husband safe. I miss you, Lia, so much. And if you're willing, we could start and keep up a contact between us, like penpals. I'm begging you to consider it.

If you wish to send a reply, write it and place the papers in the envelope mine came in, and say these words, focusing on me: _Mitte hoc verbum ad quem scriptum est_ _denim_ (30). Make sure to enunciate well, or it won't work. But don't be discouraged if it takes a few tries, I didn't get it until my fifth try! But the spell does work on making it cross from one world to the next

With all the love in my heart,

Rora

* * *

Annotations:

2) **Bird-like Mental Contraptions** : Refers to aeroplanes, a Terran technology not able to be found in Myula due to its size and expense. They allow for the commercial and private transport of people and goods through air travel.

3) **Bertolt** : Duke Franklin Bertolt, a wealthy Gedonelunan nobleman, once engaged to Princess Aurora. Referred to in private as "Berdolt" by Princesses Aurora and Aulelia.

4) **Books on Magic** : The books mentioned here were eventually donated to the Academy library, and can be found in the archives.

7) **Connected** : The items mentioned, the comb, necklace, and knife, are currently in the possession of Princess Aurora's daughter.

20) **Lovely House** : Princess Aurora and Randy settled down in Michigan, United States of America, Terra.

21) **Horseless Carriages** : This refers to automobiles known as "cars," which are just beginning to be used in larger cities in more wealthy countries in Myula. They are commonplace in Terra, but only used by the incredibly wealthy (as the vehicle and its fuel source, gasoline, has to be imported from Terra).

24) **Library** : The Dragonsilde Library is one of the largest in the world. With the exception Gedonelune Royal and Magic Academy Libraries, it also contains the largest number of book on magic. It is open to the public, and as long as they manage to obtain the proper licensings, they are allowed to borrow-out books that aren't of incredible value.

28) **Master Teseck** : The tutor of the three royal siblings—Prince Wilikin, Princess Aurora, and Princess Aulelia—when they were growing up. He was also the one who taught Prince Wilikin magic, and also taught magic to his sister's, though in secret. Magic at the time when the Princesses were growing up was considered improper for young ladies to use in exploits other than healing.

29) **Merlin** : The great wizard Merlin is credited with the transfer of magic from Myula to Terra in the time where magic was being greatly persecuted in Myula. He is also said to have been the one to transfer magic-users back to Myula after persecution there had lessened greatly, as the persecution of magic in Terra was rising. The transfer of magic back to Myula is where the current era, Post Dimensiva, began.

30) _**Mitte hoc verbum ad quem scriptum est enim**_ : Translates roughly to "Send this message to whom it is written" and it is a spell that was created by Randy and a friend when he was still attending the Academy.

41) **Sixteenth Birthday** : This is in the year 1484 PD.

42) **Stargate** : A small but well-known town near to the Academy. It is a popular place for visiting magic-users due to it high content of magic items, mostly because of its close proximity to the Academy. It also features several highly-popular shops and spots for the students to frequent.

47) **Town** : This refers to castle town, Dragonsild City, which rings Dragonsilde Palace on three sides, the eastern, western, and southern.


	9. Aulelia, Journal 5

**Aulelia**

December 1488 PD

I GOT A LETTER FROM RORA!

Calm down, Lia. Calm down. You are a royal princess and must act like a lady, after all...

No, I won't calm down. At least not right now. I will later, when I can't be showing so much excitement without a reason.

I came into my room after dinner to find a strange envelope with my nickname—Lia—on it. It was odd, and I made sure to perform a few spells Wil had taught me a few years back, to check for harmful magic. There was nothing, so I picked it up, opened it, and started to read.

First things first, I learned that Rora's married! That's why she left—to elope to a entirely different world, Terra (I'm still shocked to learn it's actually a real place, not just mere faery tales!). She's got two little boys, Johnathan and Matthias, and is pregnant with a third child! Her letter explained why she left and what she's been doing, and she apologized for not sending anything sooner. She was afraid that someone would come and snatch her back and force her to get married to that cruel, but incredibly rich, man she was engaged to, Bertolt (Of course, we always called him Berdolt.).

I wish I could tell Wil. Oh, how I wish! But Rora begged me not to. She said that he would use it to track her and bring her back, and that at this point it's better to just let him recover without her. Because knowing that he could still possibly find her hurts him—if he knew she could be found and that he couldn't take her back, it would break him. I don't like it, but I understand where she's coming from. I'm still going to try a few times and get her to reconsider, but after that I think I'll give it up.

From her words I can tell she regrets leaving us, but she's content where she is. Her husband, Randy (she hasn't told me her new last name, yet), sounds like a wonderful man. She's entirely smitten, and I'm shocked she never told me about him before she left. The name doesn't even sound familiar! But I suppose that's all right. Rora is no silly girl who loses her wits around a handsome man. She was never fooled by flirtation.

From what she says, Randy is a very smart man. His magic is apparently very interesting, though neither he nor she can use it much where they live. Apparently, magic isn't naturally a part of Terra, so any magic they use they have to draw it from personal reserves, meaning it's a lot harder to use it.

I feel that if I don't tell someone I shall go mad! I will probably tell Conrad—I'll swear him to secrecy first, but I know he'll keep it. He's very smart, and will see what telling others will bring, just like Rora did.

She said that if I wanted, the two of us could be something like penpals, because she said she really missed talking to me. All I have to do is reply. It feels so simple, too simple, but I'm not going to question it. It's the closest I'll ever get to having my sister back. She's happy, with Randy and her children, and they clearly need her. Wil and I, we've learned to live without her, but those little children leave their mother. It's a lot harder to lose a mother, especially so young, than it is to lose a sister.


	10. Aulelia, Letter 1

January 1489 PD

Dearest Rora,

I must admit that when I first saw the letter, I was shocked—so shocked I could scarcely believe it. And when I finished reading it, I started crying. Oh, how I've missed you, Rora!

I always knew you'd be the first of us to have children. I really wish I could meet your little boys, would you tell me more about them? If they're anything like you, or Randy from how you've described him, I'm sure they're absolutely wonderful.

I can very much understand your reasons for not wanting me to share this with Wil. But won't you please consider coming back? I'm sure that between Wil and I we can find a way to protect your new family while letting you rejoin your old. After all, Father will only be king for a handful of years more, by my reckoning, as Wil is getting married soon. But if you still say you cannot, I'll respect it(though it won't stop me from asking at least a few more times!). And I forgive you for leaving, you clearly had very good reasons.

But enough of that. I mentioned Wil's engagement, and so I'll talk about that. His wife-to-be is a lady from Suron, Lady Levana Mogenes. The rumors you heard about Wil were true. He went into a frenzy trying to find you. It broke my heart to see him so worried and desperate to find you. He's been getting better, less hurt, as time goes on. I bring that up because, at the engagement party, Levana actually got Wil to smile! A genuine, happy smile. I haven't seen him so cheerful in years, not since you left. You're right. He's finally recovering and suddenly getting new news about you…well, I can imagine how that would wreck his upcoming marriage. It has already damaged the relationship between him and I. Without you there, we really had no reason to interact as much as we used to. He still treats me kindly, but I find Conrad has stepped in to take the place of my older brother as Wil gets busier.

But I'm not trying to guilt trip you. I'm absolutely thrilled you've found your happiness. Mother would be thrilled, too, if she was still alive. She always was encouraging us to find the things that made up happy, and she would be proud you've done it. It sounds like you've created a wonderful life for yourself and I don't begrudge you it.

I think I may have found a bit of my own happiness. I met a man at Wil's engagement party. He came from Suron with Lady Levana, and is named Luciano, though he insists on being called Luca. Not only was he very entertaining (it's been _years_ since someone has made me laugh so hard), but he's such a good person, too. He's trying to build schools for common children, so they have a chance to learn, since their family can rarely ever afford a tutor or library permit. It's absolutely wonderful, to see him get so excited about it, and I'm really hoping I can see him more often. Even with his odd green hair (which he claims is entirely his natural color).

Speaking about education, Father did so something quite good in its name. Yes, Father actually did something helpful. He's opened the academy to almost all children who have magical abilities, not just those of noble birth or of incredible talents. Think of how many children would have so much more available for them to create a better future for themselves! Sadly, girls haven't allowed in, but Wil did tell me that he plans to change that very soon after his coronation.

With all the hope in my heart,

Lia


	11. Aurora, Journal 3

**Aurora**

February 1489 PD

I'm so positively happy I could start crying. I won't, but I could. (I'm partly blaming this on the pregnancy, as it makes emotions less controllable.)

But on to the topic at hand, I've set up a correspondence with Lia! I'm so incredibly excited, because she seemed eager in her reply to continue talking. Randy has it set up to where we'll be able to exchange a letter once a month. I wish it could be more, but anything beyond that would cause the Magical enforcement in Terra to notice. Transfers (48) are highly controlled, after all, for they aren't incredibly stable. A little letter exchange a few times a month, however, won't show up. But I'm happy to be able to contact her at all!

She and Wil have been getting better, from what she says. She also says she has a beau! A nobleman from Suron, with a wonderful temperament, good goals, and, odd enough, green hair. My baby sister is all grown up, making her way through life. I'm so proud of how well she's done for herself. She minimizes her strength, but she doesn't realize just how strong she is. Her's is just a subtle strength, but it is strength nonetheless.

I've missed my sister, so, so, _so_ very much.

* * *

48) **Transfer Stations** : These are a more recent development. They've created stable, reliable ways for people and objects to be safely transferred from Myula to Terra and vice versa.


	12. Aurora, Letter 2

February 1489 PD

Sweetest Lia,

I'm so happy you've decided to reply! I squealed so loudly when the envelope popped into the room I startled Randy and he fell out of his chair! Of course, when he saw the cause of my excitement he started laughing and forgave me immediately for it (he tends to get absorbed in what he's doing that this isn't the first time I've accidentally startled him from his chair).

Again, I must apologize but I am never going to be able to return to my childhood home. I'm so glad that you forgive me, and that forgiveness means more than I can convey in words.

Honestly, I could go on about my boys for forever. Jonny, though he's only three, is already showing signs of being a wonderful big brother. He loves helping take care of Matthias, and he mimics Randy all the time, particularly when Randy insists he do things for me (really, it's my third pregnancy and I've still got two months left! I can handle normal chores, thank you very much). It's hilarious to see Jonny give me a stern (as stern as a toddler can be) look and say, "Mama, you need to rest, Daddy's orders." I have a sneaking suspicion that Randy taught him to say that, but Randy denies it every time I ask, acting offended that I "would accuse [him] of such treachery!" But otherwise, Jonny is a little angel. He looks more like his father than he does me, but he's got my silver-grey eyes instead of Randy's brown ones (though they're a rather lovely shade that I quite adore). But other than the eyes, he's got Randy's brown hair and smile. He's already showing signs of magic, too. Only little things, like making lights (remind me to explain how electricity (12) works, it's really a wonder!) flicker or make small things spin. It would probably be more if we were in Myula, since magic is a lot more difficult here in Terra. But nonetheless I'm already very proud of him.

Matthias is still little, but he's most definitely got his father's state of being. He's such a calm child, entirely unruffled by the things around him. It's odd for a child so young, really, not to start crying when a loud crash resounds through the house. Usually because of the puppy we decided to get. It's honestly more of a handful than the children! It's such a clumsy yet adorable creature, and it's hard to stay mad at it when it accidentally slides into something, knocking it over, when it couldn't stop running. It's got the puppy eyes down pat. (Jonny named it Tambo, for some reason, and now it won't respond to anything else!)

And, I must say that every child I have, boy or (maybe, one day) girl, will be able to learn their magic, and not have to sneak around nicking spell books from the locked parts of the library like you and I had to (though we were lucky Master Teseck, when he found out what we were doing, began teaching us right alongside Wil). I'll send them, once they're older, to magic schools in Myula. Not the academy in Gedonelune, though. It's a little too risky, and it's such a small school that secrets are very hard to keep hidden. I'm pleased to hear that Father finally decided to listen to Wil on the matter of opening the academy up to all children with magic, not just the ones of noble blood or the ones with parents who have deep pockets. It's a pity that the girls will have to wait another couple years to join.

You don't know how happy it makes me to learn that Wil is finally able to start moving on, and that his engagement seems to be one of the luckier arranged ones. I hope with all my heart that he'll be able to be happy with his fiancée. He deserves to be happy.

Frankly, so do you. This Luca sounds like a wonderful man. Anyone who's biggest goal is to help children is a good person in my books, and I'm thrilled you found someone to adore. It probably isn't at that stage yet, perhaps, and it may never get there, but it's fun to think about, no? I can already imagine little green haired artists running around with charcoal-covered hands, leaving grey smears all over the walls of the palace.

I've enclosed a picture of Jonny and Matthias, because I couldn't resist. I'm such a mother, and I love showing off my babies!

With all the love in my heart,

Rora

* * *

Annotations:

12) **Electricity** : When this was written, electricity was not at all used in Myula. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more common.


	13. Aulelia, Journal 6

**Aulelia**

March 1489 PD

I met Luca again today. This time, it was at a garden party in what was my mother's favorite greenhouse (we often hold small parties here). It seems that he had made a favorable impression on my father, too. I, for one, enjoyed being able to speak with him again.

He told me that he had convinced his father to start a school for the children of the servants in their estates, and a few more for the children of those who worked the lands! I was thrilled for him, and he seemed ever so excited.

I learned that his father's properties are mostly orchards and farmland, and his family is well known for their fruits. He brought some of the famous fruit preserves to the party. I daresay I've never tasted any so good.

But I might be biased towards the one brought them.


	14. Aulelia, Letter 2

March 1489 PD

Dearest Rora,

Of course I replied! You're my sister and no matter what I'll love you to the ends of the stars, and I know you feel the same about me. As much as I wish I could tell Wil (I've settled for telling Conrad, and I plead your forgiveness for it—I needed someone to be able to talk to over here about it, and he'll never give up your secret, that I am sure of) there's no way I'd give up being able to be in contact with you again.

Very well. I shall let the matter drop and we can talk about better things.

Jonny and Matthias sound wonderful, and from the photo you've sent me (how does it work? It's not painted, and it's so much clearer than any of the modern cameras over here take, not to mention it's in color, and it's on such odd paper!) they're clearly going to be very handsome men one day, likely unintentional heartbreakers both.

I've seen Luca again since I sent my last letter. It was at a garden party in mother's greenhouse. Father actually seems to like him, but it's hard not to like such a cheerful, charismatic man as Luca. I got to talk to him more, and learned a lot more about him. Like the fact that his family is famous for the fruit from their orchards. And that he managed to finally convince his father to convince his father to open up schools for the children in their estates. He was very proud of himself and it was such a happy glint he had in his eye as he proceeded to tell me all sorts of detailed plans for it. It was highly endearing. You make me blush with how you imply he and I have a future together, sister, and it's quite rude, you know, to tease me so (of course, it's not all that bad, either…). Sadly, Luca is returning to Suron soon, as his job accompanying Levana to Gedonelune is long over with, as she is very well settled in at this point. We've both promised to write each other, and he said he will try and come visit the palace whenever he is able.

Wil is looking better and better as time goes on, and he's entirely smitten with Levana—as she is with him! I can tell that theirs is a very good match. I love watching the two of them interact, it's like they've known each other all their lives.

With all the hope in my heart,

Ria


	15. Aurora, Journal 4

**Aurora**

June 1489 PD

I can hardly breathe as I write this. My son, my third son, my baby, did not make it. He was early, a few weeks so, and was weak when born. He passed on only two mere hours after his birth. This was only two days ago, and now is the first time I feel able to pick up the pen. Randy suggested it, actually, in hopes it might help me.

There's this hole in my chest. It strangles me, and this is what killed my mother. Lia doesn't know, but she had a twin of her own. A sister, one who died in little over a month of her life. Her name was Selene Celeste (40), as my mother liked naming her daughters after the sun and moon. Losing Selene was the start of my mother's sickness. The official story is different. She died of a broken heart, not a heart attack. I was very young when she passed, only five, little Lia only four, but her friend, Madam Violet (27) told me when I grew older and started asking questions.

I don't want to become my mother in this. She wasted away for four years, and then left this life. I lost my baby, whom Randy and I named Orion Wilikin, but I still have two little boys to care for. They need their mother, and I refuse to leave them.

* * *

Annotations:

27) **Madam Violet** : A servant woman who passed soon after Princess Aurora's vanishing. She was personal maid of the late Queen Aurora Aulelia, and after her passing, Madam Violet became the personal maid of Princesses Aurora and Aulelia.

40) **Selene Celeste** : Princess Selene Celeste Gedonelune was the older twin of Princess Aulelia. Her existence was not known to the public, as she died within a month of her birth and the royal children are not officially announced until they reach a year old.


	16. Aurora, Letter 3

August 1489 PD

Sweetest Lia,

Oh, Lia. I'm so distraught as I write this. It's only been months since it's happened, but you'll have to forgive the tear stains. And I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It hurt too much.

The baby came too quickly, too early. The doctors couldn't do much to save him, and he died a few hours after being born. We still named him. Orion.

Did you know that Terra and Myula have the same constellations? Most of them have different names and stories, but there's a few that have the same. On Myula the story of Orion is about a man, a warrior who had to complete three tasks and earn three stars in order to save his love. In Terra it's about a hunter with whom the goddess of the moon and hunt falls in love with, and the jealous brother of the goddess sends a monster to kill him. The goddess, in morning of Orion's, creates a constellation in honor of the man she loved. Either way, it's a love story involving a strong man. And I refuse to let my son go unnamed. After all, we must have something to call him in the next life.

Randy and I have recently decided to adopt a little baby boy in Orion's name. Randy found him when he went into Myula for work. The baby lost his father to raiders (33), and his mother died just after childbirth. His grandmother, who was taking care of the month old babe, was ailing and happy to have found a good home for him, for her magic (the little bit she had was divinary) told her she had not long to live. The baby's name is Matthew. It's close to Matthias, I know, but I'm going to leave it as it. His birth mother, who no doubt would have loved him with all her heart, gave it to him, and I'm not going to change that. I can think of no better way to honor a baby who didn't get the chance to live and grow by giving a child who very nearly lost the chance the ability to thrive. I'm going to give a little boy a chance, one my baby didn't get. And I can't dwell on the bad—I've got three children now to care for and I'll be damned if I don't give them the best that I possibly can. Besides, working helps me not focus on the grief.

I'm so happy to hear that you're doing so well with Luca. The big sister in me (I may be a mother but I'll always be your older sister) is right there next to you, getting all excited about it. And I wouldn't be too disheartened as his leaving—I've got a strong good feeling that you two will continue to grow closer. And we both know how accurate those "feelings" I get usually are.

With all the love in my heart,

Rora

* * *

Annotations:

33) **Raiders** : This is referring to the raiders from the country of Eclos, to the west of Gedonelune. Due to the extreme poverty of Eclos, they often raid the towns on the western edge of Gedonelune.


	17. Aulelia, Journal 7

**Aulelia**

February 1490 PD

Rora and I exchange letters fairly often. I only get one about once a month (she isn't able to send them more often), and can only send a reply when I get one (sadly, or I'd send them more often), but what our letters lack in quantity is quality. I love being able to learn about what she's been up to, and telling her about what's happening here, including my affections for a certain green-haired man.

But alas, there's been a tragedy. What should have been her third son, Orion, isn't what happened. The poor babe only lived a few hours after being born. I didn't learn about this until recently, though it's been a little over a year since it happened. I was wondering why Rora didn't mention him, particularly when she would talk in long lengths about Jonny and Matthias. So I asked. And she told.

As sad and heartbroken as Rora was, her incredible strength began to show when she told me she was going to adopt a little baby boy who had lost his father to raiders and his mother to childbirth. Barely a year since she lost Orion, and she's willing to take another person's child into her heart as her own.

"I'm going to give a little boy a chance, one my baby didn't get," she told me.

She was always so much stronger than I. I don't know if I could have done what she's doing. To lose a child, then soon decide to take in another? Rora was always the stronger of the two of us.


	18. Aurora, Journal 5

**Aurora**

May 1490 PD

Matthew arrived today. This little bundle, an infant, with dark brown hair, light brown eyes. He could almost be mistaken for the blood sibling of my other children. Not that it matters, because he is my son now just as much as the other two.

There's a saying here on Terra. "Blood is thicker than Water." It generally means that your blood relations are more important than your non-blood relations. But I've discovered that it's not the full saying. It is a shortened version that flipped the meaning. It should be "The Blood of the Covenant is thicker than the Water of the Womb." Meaning, the family you choose is more important than the family you are born into. And I apply that here. Just because I did not give birth to Matthias, it doesn't mean he is any less my son. And I intend to raise him as such.


	19. Aulelia, Journal 8

**Aulelia**

June 1492 PD

I got a letter from Luca today. Well, I've gotten several over the past few months. All quite long, though my responses were all as long as that. Between Luca and Rora, it seems I'm always writing! With my letters and royal duties (which have been picking up as my brother and his bride prepare to leave for their year-long honeymoon), I don't even have time to sketch anymore. It's quite sad, and I miss it.

But I like to think I'm not as busy as Rora, with her fourth child nearly there. Randy, as much as he wants to help, is working full time. On another hand, Rora was always a very talented multitasker. She's slowly getting to have the large family she always wanted.

"A right army of children, Lia, just imagine it!" she'd always say to me when we were growing up.

I'm happy for her.

As for Luca, there's something special about him. I can feel it.

I think I might be falling in love.

I find myself understanding my sister's choice more and more. I can see why love might become a feeling that would cause a princess to elope, leaving everything and everyone behind.


	20. Aulelia, Journal 9

**Aulelia**

July 1497 PD

Luca has come to visit the palace (32) again. Rora was always good at managing things and being strong, but I was always the one most capable of reading people and knowing how to react, at least outwardly, to things—which has made it easier to conceal the face that I'm hopelessly in love with Luca secret from the general populace of the palace. Well, secret from everyone but him!

Luca and I spend hours talking, and in various places. The royal library (as well as me showing him my own personal collection, which also contains Rora's books, which she encouraged me to add—needless to say, Luca was very impressed), on walks around the palace, under the stars when we occasionally sneak away to sit on a concealed bench. We even took a horse ride and had a picnic in the royal forest (38), just outside of the northern part of the city. And on that picnic…he kissed me! He finally kissed me!

I never had understood the fascination all the other noble girls had with kissing.

Now I do.

He's not that much older than me. I'm in my mid twenties, and he's only five years older. Both of us are of proper marrying ages, if not a little beyond, aren't we? Or am I just getting ahead of myself? A girl can dream…

Problem is, I doubt Father would let me marry him, particularly as he's keen on engaging me to a wealthier, more stuffy, and less creative nobleman from our country. So far I've managed to fend off all the suitors he choses. I think after Rora's vanishing, he's keen to make sure I take her place in bringing a lot more wealth into the royal coffers. Thankfully, with Wil's coronation, he holds less power. Wil has been instrumental in helping me. He thinks the opposite of father—Rora's engagement, one she very much detested, was why she ran. He refuses to let me go through the same trial. He hasn't outright said it, but I think he's scared of losing me, too.

Since this is my first entry in a very long time, I suppose I should write an update on Rora. She's had three more sons, bringing her up to six! There's Jonny, who's turned 11 recently and is very much a big brother to his younger siblings; Matthias, who is 9 and loves animals; Matthew, the adopted boy who at 7 loves tinkering around and building things; Inan, aged 5, who is a very odd sort of lad (Rora believes him to be a seer, as he always seems to know things he very much shouldn't!); Wade, who is a handful, always running around with energy far beyond that of the average 4 year old should have; and little baby Eric, who isn't actually so little, being the largest at birth of all his brothers—Rora is convinced he is going to tower over them all one day!

Wil, too, has started his family. He's got a lovely little lad, aged 3, named Roderick, after Father (though personally I think that he could have made a much better choice with the name), and Levana is pregnant with what the healer says is twins! We've had so many in the family line, honestly. I'm surprised Rora hasn't had any! But then again, she always was more like mother's family.

My sister has a wonderful family, Wil is happy, and I'm in love. Nothing could be better. For the moment, everything is almost perfect. I can only hope that it lasts.

* * *

Annotations:

32) **Palace** : Refers to Dragonsilde Palace, the castle where the royal family of Gedonelune resides. It is located at the heart of Dragonsilde City, the capital of Gedonelune.

38) **Royal Forest** : The forest to the direct north of the Dragonsilde Palace is only open to nobles and those with special permits, such as game wardens and fauna management. It is, particularly in the late spring through early fall, a popular place for groups to go picnicking and riding.


	21. Aurora, Journal 6

**Aurora**

August 1499 PD

It's been so long since I last wrote. I know. But it's the first time since the accident I've had both the time and the energy. I plan on writing a long, long letter to Lia next..

At thirteen, Jonny is one of the strongest people I know. When we lost Randy a few months ago, I fell apart. I didn't move from my bed for weeks. Jonny, bless his stars, stepped up. He took care of his little brothers, all five of them. Made sure they ate, did their lessons, bathed, and slept. He made sure I ate, too.

His strength is what pulled me out of the horrible, crushing darkness (10) I had slipped into. He is everything a good person should be and so, so much more. I don't know what I would do without him. I've lost my husband, but my son is still here. My sons. They need their mother, now more than ever. Jonny made me realize that.

He walked into my room to make sure I ate something. Bread, I think. He'd been doing the shopping for months, and for a thirteen year old boy he did very well.

I had a moment of clarity, and saw him as he was for the first time in a long time. And he looked awful. There were the darkest circles under his eyes, an exhaustion that no child should have. But his eyes held a look of determination that took my breath away. He wasn't going to give up on his family. Not his brothers, not me.

This moment of clarity led to more. A few days later, I managed to get up and go sit in my chair, by the window, and watch outside. I kept making progress, getting better and better. I was able to, eventually, do simple chores and make meals. Eventually I could go out and do the shopping. My sons were overjoyed, and everything I did made them excited. Jonny started improving with me, able to get more sleep and not work nearly so hard.

The finances were difficult, despite Jonny's best efforts while I was bedridden. Due to Randy's work, which paid well, we did have a good store of money saved up, and due to his death being while he was returning home from a work trip, we would get monthly checks from his previous employer. But with so many mouths to feed, the savings were dwindling fast. I managed to fix that, at least for a while, by selling some of the jewels I'd brought with me from Terra. Apparently real, colored diamonds are rare in Terra. So a somewhat gaudy necklace I'd received from someone on a birthday, covered in red diamonds, I was able to sell for a very large sum, enough to tide us over, if we're careful, for at least four years. And there's several other pieces I can sell, if need be.

Which is important. I can't really start working, see, because I'm soon to have another child. I only found out recently. Randy's last child. I must take care of them, as well as our other beautiful children. So that is exactly what I'm going to do.

* * *

Annotations:

10) **Crushing Darkness** : The crushing diagnosis that was described in Princess Aurora's journals was later diagnosed after her death. The handful of Terran Doctors who, from a list of the symptoms the princess described, as something known as Clinical Depression, a mental illness. Princess Aurora, from her children's descriptions, suffered various bouts of this until her death, in 1507 PD. To learn more about this, please reference Clinical Depression, A Study of Mental Illness by Doctor John V. Tenad, a doctor who has studied medicine in both Terra and Myula.


	22. Aulelia, Journal 10

**Aulelia**

September 1499 PD

Luca left again today, this time maybe for a year, or more. He got word that his mother had fallen ill again, and that it didn't look like she was going to get better this time. She had never had very good health, but this time was so much worse. My heart reaches out to Luca, for he had a look of pain on his face when he left. He told me many stories about his mother, and I know they are incredibly close.

My heart hurts. For him and his pain, but also because I didn't realize just how much I'd miss him until he was gone, with no promise of return. The only other time I felt like this was when Rora vanished.

Please, whatever deity is out there, don't let me lose him.

Rora lost someone recently. I hadn't heard from her in months until just recently. She had good reason, though. Randy, her dearest, most beloved husband, was killed in an accident. My sister and I are are both crying for the men we love. Only, she's stronger than I am, and is already picking herself up. She has six children and a seventh (whom she only found out about days before she sent her latest letter) on its way. She told me she has to be strong, for her children. She doesn't have time to fall to pieces, not when she has them to care for.

If she can stay strong in her situation, which is so much worse than mine, I can stay strong.

At least, I hope I can.


	23. Aulelia, Letter 3

September 1499 PD

Dearest Rora,

As happy as I am to hear from you after so long, I can't even express how much my heart goes out to you. Losing Randy…I've never met him, but from everything you've told me he's come as near and dear to my heart as Wil. I can't even imagine what it's like to have been as close to him as you and lose him. I imagine it feels like losing Mother all over again, but perhaps much worse because you spent more time with him than we were able to with mother.

I wish I could do so much more to help you. Six boys to take care of, a seventh on the way! I wish I could go to you, help you. But I can't leave. Luca, he lost his mother recently, and I can't just leave him like that. It's destroyed him, and I can't imagine doing anything to hurt him more. I'm very lucky Father has given up on trying to marry me off, resigned that I am to become a spinster.

I send my love to you and your boys. A hug and a kiss to Jonny, Matthias, Matthew, Inan, Wade, and Eric each. And several hugs and kisses to you, dear sister. Hug, kisses, and comfort. All that I am able to give. I love you, Rora. You and each of my darling nephews, including the one to come. I may have never met them, but I love them. Take care of them, and of yourself.

With all the hope in my heart,

Lia


	24. Aurora, Journal 7

**Aurora**

November 1499 PD

My baby's name is Merlin. Merlin Randy March. He is only a few weeks old at this point. He's so perfect, quite and sweet. His brother's have taken to him wonderfully.

I've made the decision to carry out Randy's wish. We once talked about it. He asked me that, if he passed on before me, to take something, his own journal, and put it in his favorite spot from his school days. He told me that it needed to be there, so a certain friend of his could find it when the time was right. He was never specific as to why, but he did tell me of the place where it needed to be placed. So I'm going to do it.

And while I'm there, I'm also going to visit the Tower (45). It holds the secrets of my family, and I've decided to add my piece. I have a way to return to Myula without it raising an alarm. I can only go and come back once before it will not work. It pains me to leave my baby so soon, though I'll be going in a few months. I'm hopeful it will not take me longer than a month to accomplish. I've enlisted a friend here on Terra to watch my sons while I am away, though I know she's only going to be here in case of emergencies. Jonny and Matthias are both wonderful with taking care of their little brothers, and Jonny in particular has been absolutely amazing with little Merlin and Eric, who is only two years.

I can only pray this goes well.

* * *

Annotations:

45) **Tower** : This refers to the Tower of Sorrow, the tower that contains the petrified Dragon of Time, as well as the jewel that is the record of the Gedonelune family history. It is located, heavily guarded, near the Royal Magic Academy of Gedonelune.


	25. Aulelia, Journal 11

**Aulelia**

December 1499 PD

Luca is back at the palace, after over six months, but he's changed, since his mother's death. He's no longer so quick to smile and laugh. I found him crying in the library, back in the hidden room (18) where we once would so often meet. I cried with him. I held him until both our tears stopped.

* * *

Annotations:

18) **Hidden Room** : It is believed that Princess Aulelia is referring to the royal archives here.


	26. Aulelia, Journal 12

**Aulelia**

January 1500 PD

The ball last night celebrating the birth (8) of the twins (who Levana and Wil named Aurora (after our mother and sister) and Ariel (after Levana's mother)) and was painful. I love my brother and sister-in-law, and I'm so excited to be the aunt to their new twins, but I couldn't bear the festivities—Luca didn't come. So I slipped out early, completely unnoticed. Perks of being the youngest and least social, I suppose. Not that it matters.

I found Luca in his room, looking like he was reading. But he wasn't. He was just staring blankly at the same page. And the book was upsidedown. When he heard me, he looked up, and what I saw in his eyes hurt me. He looked so sad. Luca had really loved his mother, and now people kept telling him it was time to let go and move on, and it only a few months after her passing.

They're cruel people who don't understand how much losing someone you love hurts. I lost my mother when I was a very young child, and even now, as an adult, I feel the effects of her loss.

Losing his mother broke something in Luca. Just like losing Rora broke something in Wil. Just like losing Randy broke something in Rora. I'm surrounded by broken people. Everyone I love seems to have something irreparably broken. And it breaks me to see them, the ones I care about most, hurting so much.

All I wanted to do was make him feel better. I was unsure of what to do. Rora had been the comforter, not I. So I kissed him. He kissed me back. Things went further, and that is all I will say. What happened last night is too personal and precious to share.

* * *

Annotations:

8) **Celebration of Birth** : There are several traditions to celebrate the new arrivials of the Gedonelune Royal Family, including a ball held in their honor where they are publicly named and given gifts from all those in attendance. Celebrations for twins, in particular, have the addition of a magical blessing by the First Mage, in hopes that it'll encourage the changes of Twin-Magic and the likelihood of long lives.


	27. Aurora, Journal 8

**Aurora**

February 1500 PD

It's been a month since I've written, almost exactly, give or take a few days. I left my journal here while I made my way in Myula. So much has happened. I was so happy to be reunited with my sons, for I've missed them all so dearly. I've gained a little hope back, since I left. I've finally got time to write, now that everyone is put to bed.

Here's what happened over the month:

When I first left, I ended up a few towns away from my destination. From my information, i.e. my letters with Lia (whom it made me ache to lie to, about not having a safe way to return to Myula, but I couldn't risk seeing her), I knew that Master Teseck taught at the academy now. I managed to make contact with him, in disguise, of course. Despite that, he knew me on sight, being one of the few magic-users capable of sensing the magic of others (Lia and I have always been under the impression he's got at least some fae blood (14) in him). And, having been my teacher, was very familiar with my magic.

I wasn't able to tell him very much about where I'd been and what I'd been up to (for safety's sake), but thankfully he was merely content with knowing that I was doing well, and promised not to tell anyone he'd seen me. He did have to introduce me the first mage, the headmaster, so that I might be able to gain access to the Tower (my official excuse for coming). Randolph, the first mage (16), was very accommodating. He would escort me to and from the Tower on the nights I needed to be there, which was about five times a week for three weeks.

In my first week there, on a night when I wasn't going to the tower, I snuck into the school grounds and to the place where Randy wanted his journal left. It was a tree, one with a particularly odd hollow in it, one I suspected was magic-made. So that task was complete.

I stayed at an inn in Stargate, where they knew me as the fair-skinned, brunette, brown-eyed (as opposed to my usual blonde, silver-eyed self) Ms. Lia Wilson. I chose that name as a tribute of sorts to my dear siblings, though they will never know of it, and my looks like those of my dear Randy.

The nights I spent at the Tower were productive. I recorded all my history since the time of my vanishing over the course of those three weeks. None of the royal family, or anyone, for that matter, ever comes to the Tower itself. The jewel that records the history has a mate, back that the palace. And that mate is different. It merely records, not retains. It's recordings are sent to the Tower's jewel (46). So no one will likely ever learn of my recordings, not until I am long gone (and probably long dead). But my history is recorded, and perhaps one day a descendant of my siblings will go to the Tower and discover my story. Perhaps they will seek out my children (or their descendants) and the families will be reunited.

But those are not the only thing that happened there. While I stayed in Stargate, I met a man, Cadeyrn Fonix (5). When we met, I learned he was a traveling researcher, as well as a magic tool maker, who was currently in the area to study the local fae, since the fae near the academy have a unique relationship with the humans here (which is why, in the middle of the country, that area always seemed to have fair weather, despite the cold winters of the surrounding areas).

He and I grew close in those couple weeks I was there. Cadeyrn learned my story, at least, an edited version. He gave me hope again, that I wasn't entirely broken beyond repair. That I could love someone new. I won't say much of our relationship, but I will say that it was intimate, for the time it lasted. For, sooner than I would have wished, we both had to part ways. His sister had found him (he was evading his family, just like I) and he had to return home, unless he wished for severe consequences. He was able to say goodbye to me, one last time, before he had to leave.

And soon after that, I had to return to Terra. It was the full moon (17) again, exactly a month after I had arrived. I bid Randolph and Master Teseck farewell, and returned to Terra, where my sons were waiting for me.

I do not regret leaving them to go to Myula (because I did return, and am back home now), and I do not regret what I did, whether it be what I went there to do, or what ended up happening. I've been able to heal, thanks to my time in Myula, enough to function in a way where I can be happy with my life. And that, I believe, is worth it.

* * *

Annotations:

5) **Cadeyrn Fonix** : Refers to the elemental, Cadeyrn, who is the biological father of Selene Celeste Goldstein née Fonix. When he was the lover of Princess Aurora, he went by the name Cadeyrn Fonix. He was confined to Elementum, by order of their leader, the Paladin, due to this affair, but since then some of the restrictions have been lifted and he has been allowed to kindle contact with his daughter. He is the son of the king of fire elementals and the younger sister of the king of the wind elementals, though he gave up all claim to the throne at the time of his mother's death.

14) **Fae Blood** : In the current day, people with known fae blood are more widely accepted by the public. However, in the time period of this journal entry, having mixed human and non-human blood was often a reason for severe persecution, even in the magical community. Nowadays, it is common knowledge that all human magic initially stemmed from non-human blood being mixed with human blood.

16) **First Mage** : The three great mages of Gedonelune are the guardians of the Tower of Sorrow, the first and third mages being the only two that are known to the public. The second mage, however, is meant to remain private due to their personal request.

17) **Full Moon** : The method Princess Aurora used for her last trip to Myula was a machine created by her late husband that was a prototype for the modern transfer stations (which were greatly changed and improved using this prototype in the years following the revealing of the fate of Princess Aurora), the ones developed before then now widely out of use.

46) **Tower's Jewel** : There is a jewel in the Tower of Sorrow that is only able to be used by someone who is of the royal house of Gedonelune by blood. It contains a record, which is in the process of being fully transcribed, of nearly every blood member of the house of Gedonelune from the time of the first king.


	28. Aurora, Letter 4

March 1500 PD

Sweetest Lia,

I've been thinking a lot, lately, of when we were younger, back when Wil still fought against learning maths, Father still smiled, and you and I shared a room. We would stay up half the night practicing magic or discussing our plans for the future, no matter how silly they seemed at times. We promised that one day we'd do our best to have a child at the same time and that they would be the best of friends. It looks like we're keeping our promise, at least part of it.

I, too, am pregnant. I found out not to long after receiving your last letter. She'll be due only two months after your baby, in December. Sadly, the part about them being best friends thing hasn't worked out as well as we had hoped, all those years ago. We are separated by a world of circumstance. But perhaps one day, they'll meet and be friends. Fate is a mistress who loves irony.

I so very much hope you can meet with Luca again after the ordeal is over. Wil is being crowned in a year, yes? He will not stand for what Father has done to you. When he learns that it is the fault of Father that he lost both of his beloved sisters…I would not wish to be in Father's place. Just make sure you have a backup plan, to keep you and your baby safe. Father is known for his tempers, after all.

I wish, oh how I wish, I would be able to come and rescue you myself, but that would mean making my presence known again, as I no longer have Randy who was capable of transferring people from Terra to Myula. Now, unlike when I first moved to Terra, there are transfer stations, if only a few, that can take people back and forth. But for me to be able to cross, I would have to register (36) myself, and that would reveal who I am. You would find the same problem, for they are very picky on keeping tracking of who comes and goes. My sons will be able to cross because they register as the sons of Randy, not as my sons. As far as the databases of the transfer stations, I do not exist. And I can't risk my sons like that.

Maybe one day, in a year or two, we can reveal every secret we've had to keep. Once Wil is crowned (9), we can explain everything to him, I'm certain of it. We must keep our hope, for it thrives where it is remembered.

With all the love in my heart,

Rora

* * *

Annotations:

9) **Crowned** : Prince Wilikin became King Wilikin in 1501 PD.

36) **Register** : The magic-users who live in Terra are required to register if they ever wish to pass from Myula to Terra or vice versa. This helps keep track of the magical population in Myula, and helps the Terran Magical Ministry locate and protect magic users and non-magic users alike, including the memory erasal team, which erases the memories of magic from those who aren't supposed to know. This is to prevent mass panic in Terra, as they aren't the most magic-friendly people, as a general whole, despite the idea of magic becoming more popular.


	29. Aurora, Journal 9

**Aurora**

March 1500 PD

Irony can be a funny thing. In this case, it was a positive thing.

My little sister (though she's not all that little at this point, being in her thirties) is pregnant, with Luca's child. She found out, and father found out, and then she was hidden away from society. She wouldn't tell him who the father was, which made it worse. Wil, from what Conrad has told her (he accompanied her into her hiding), is under the impression she's vanished, which infuriates me. He's already lost me, but to lose Lia, too? A mere fifteen years after I left, too. But Wil is to be crowned in about a year, so there's hope yet.

The ironic thing about this, yes, there's that.

I'm pregnant. I found out mere days after I received the letter from Lia. When we were young, we would dream of having children around the same time, so that they might grow up together like she and I, the best of friends. We won't be able to do that, but we at least somehow managed to get pregnant around the same time. Mine is to be, surprisingly, a girl, my only girl. Lia doesn't know the gender of hers—Myula lacks the technology (and magic isn't supposed to mix well with pregnancies) to tell, so until it is born, we won't know.

I'm hopeful that the two of us might be able to meet in a little over a year, when Wil gets crowned. But I'm at a dilemma. If I reveal myself, my sons are likely to end up being raised in court, like I was (for Wil will likely insist on me moving back to the palace). And I don't want them to live with that. It's hard enough with full-nobel blood, but my sons are only half. And my daughter will not only be half-royal, she will be considered a bastard child, as I was never married to her father. I can't put my family through that. But I also long for my siblings. I want to meet Wil's wife and children. I want to meet Lia's Luca, and her child, when they come.

But I don't think I could be so selfish as to put my sons in such a position. My children come first. They will always come first.


	30. Aulelia, Journal 13

**Aulelia**

October 1500 PD

The doctor says that my child should be coming any day now. I wish I could tell Luca, the father of my child. And blast it, I don't care what my Father says—I'm going to tell him about his child after its born. But I will have to be careful about my father finding out—he doesn't know it was Luca who fathered my child, no matter how much he roared at me to tell him.

Ah, Luca, how I miss him. I haven't seen him in months. My father has me hidden away, in order to try and avoid disgracing our family name. That why I never got to tell Luca about our child. He's doesn't even know where I am—few people do. And it pains me that he isn't one of those few. I miss him dreadfully.

One of the people who knows where I am is my dearest friend Conrad. He's been such a dear about this, staying with me and keeping my company. I don't know what I'd do without him. I couldn't ask for a more wonderful friend, a friend who is practically my brother.

Rora knows about my situation and has been wonderful to help me stay positive. She said there is still so much hope. She said that she herself met a man named Cadeyrn, and while she was only able to be with him for a month (before his people found out and took him away, and she hasn't heard from him since), she still felt a love she had been missing since she lost Randy. She's pregnant, too, and her child will be due only about two months after mine, in December (11). The doctors over there say it's a girl.

I laugh to think of how she'll grow up, with so many brothers. Heavens help any man who wants to court her—they'll have to go through her seven older brothers first! I barely managed to keep my lover from one brother who was kept busy with a wife and royal duties!

* * *

Annotations:

11) **December** : Selene Celeste Fonix was actually born on December 21, 2000 AD (Terran Years), which is the Winter Solstice. Selene wanted this to be added to point out the irony of her birthday being the Winter Solstice when her element is Fire.


	31. Aurora, Journal 10

**Aurora**

October 1500 PD

Before Cadeyrn and I parted, he gave me something. It was a wand (51), one that was of very curious workmanship. Cadeyrn made it, I know, but it's odd. The wand is made of, instead of wood, metals. They seem to be silver and gold, silver being the base and gold threading it's way through it. But if you pay close attention, it isn't normal metal. The gold veins seem to shift. Metal, even if it's got magic in it, shouldn't do that. Which leads me to believe that the wand holds some secrets I do not know.

Cadeyrn said that someone I'd love would need it, eventually. Now, as little Selene wriggles in my belly (for she, I've decided, is to be named after the sister of mine who never got the chance to live), I think that it might be for her. It would made sense, if Cadeyrn knew I was to bare his child, but there wasn't a way for him to know that.

Either way, this wand will belong to Selene. She's going to be special, I just know it. She'll do something big in her life, mayhaps many great things. And I know a mother is supposed to think that about all her children, and I do, but I have a feeling that Selene's life is going to play out in a very different way that her brother's lives.

* * *

Annotations:

51) **Wand** : This wand, which was the first wand of Selene Celeste Silber, was used until it was snapped in 1517 PD.


	32. Aulelia, Journal 14

**Aulelia**

October 1500 PD

Conrad and I talked for long while today about what I'm to do after I give birth. I suppose I haven't really explained much about him in past entries, and I'm bored so I'll write it now. He's the youngest of my father's royal advisors and only three years older than I am, only a year older than Rora and Wil. We grew up like brother and sister.

He is the only one whom I have trusted with knowing who the child's father is besides Rora. He's been keeping my sister's secret since the beginning, when I got the first letter, and I know I can trust him with anything. I made him swear that if anything ever happened to me, he'd take care of my child. He swore something extra—to do so no matter what it takes to keep my baby safe. It's something of great risk for him. He's willing to go directly against my father, someone who took him in and trained him and trusted him when he had hardly anywhere else to go. My father wants him to make sure my child is killed before I "return to polite society." But I know he will take care of my baby if I cannot. I do not plan to return to where my father resides, however. Not until it is safe for my baby.

I'm so thankful. Even locked away, hidden from the world, I still have two people who I know love me and care about me. And there's two more out there, somewhere, who I hope are trying to find me. I hope Luca doesn't think I abandoned him of my own free will.

Even if I haven't seen Luca in so long, I love him nonetheless. One day we'll meet again. And I will tell him about our child, and about my sister. Maybe instead of living here in Myula where we will be scorned and shamed, we can go live with Rora in Terra. I'm sure if I tell her this, she'll gladly let us come. I'd love to meet her children, and I know she'd love to meet Luca.


	33. Aulelia, Journal 15

**Aulelia**

October 1500 PD

I must apologize for the tear stains. Conrad delivered me a letter early today. It was from Luca's father, addressed to my family. Luca is dead.

It was an accident. And he died a hero. They've been having horrible rains (34) at his father's estate, and one of the children, attempting to save her pet, fell into a swiftly running river that had risen far beyond its normal banks. Luca, without hesitation, jumped in. He managed to throw the child to safety, but he himself did not make it.

Our child will know that I loved his father. That he was a hero in many ways.

And I will love my child more than anything. No matter where I am or what state I am in.

My child shall be named Aurora if they're a girl, but they shall be Luciano, after their father, if the child is a boy. Either way, they will have the name of a person who I loved dearly, someone who was strong and loving. Who, no matter what, will be a hero in their own right, be it by saving a child from drowning after working so hard to be able to give common children the right to learn, or by a quieter strength to keep fighting to overcome the challenges of being a single parent of so many children.

My child will be a hero, one day. Just like their namesake. I have a feeling that they will do something amazing. They are to continue the legacy of a wonderful kind.

* * *

Annotations:

34) **Rains** : The year 1500 PD was a time of much precipitation in Suron, in comparison to the near dought in Gedonelune.


	34. Aulelia, Letter 4 Conrad, Letter 1

October 1500 PD

Dearest Rora,

Luca...he's gone. He's dead. And I now can truly understand what happened to you when Randy died. My comfort is that my Luca died a hero, saving a child from a flooded river. But it still hurts. Something that was in me...it's no longer there. It's gone and I don't know if it will ever come back. I can almost understand what you felt like when Randy died. It's this huge gaping hole in my soul that feels so unbreachable and unclosable.

I took your advice and put a backup together. My child will not die. They will not be killed because their grandfather decided they were too much of a scandal. They will live and be strong.

Maybe, after they're born, I can find a way to join you in Terra. I don't know.

I'm terrified, Rora. The baby is due in a few days time. I'm so scared. I feel like everything is crashing down around me. And I know that I need to be strong. I wish I was more like you, so strong in the face of adversity, able to take on the world without backing down. No matter how scared or hurt you were you always seemed to push through and get done what needed to be done. You're amazing, Rora, and I love you so, so much. You've been my solace for so long and for that I thank you. I love you, Rora. I love you. I love you. I love you.

With all the hope left in my broken heart,

Lia

* * *

Aurora,

I am sending you this to inform you that your sister did not survive giving birth to her child. She entrusted him to me, and I will make sure to keep him well hidden and well protected. I know you may want to lay claim to the child, but she told me I was not to pass him off to anyone else and take care of him myself, and not even for you will I disobey her wishes.

I cannot express how sorry I am about Aulelia, and she was very dear to the both of us. I know I will miss her dreadfully. This will likely be the last you'll hear of me, for I must hide the child—a boy, named for his father—before the king finds out he was not killed, as was ordered. Again, I am so, so sorry.

Best Wishes,

Conrad Schuyler


	35. Aurora, Journal 11

**Aurora**

November 1500 PD

Lia, my sweet sister, has died. I received her final letter along with one from Conrad. Her letter was written a few days before she gave birth, telling me that Luca had been killed. Conrad's was an apology, telling me she had died in childbirth, and a promise that he was going to keep the child (a boy) safe. I feel that it was grief just as much as the trauma of birth that caused Lia's death.

Last night, when I received the news, Jonny found me curled up crying on my bed. He left, and then returned with all his brothers, save Eric and little Merlin, who were asleep. My sons crawled onto the bed and cuddled up to me, not asking what was wrong (I believe sweet Jonny told them not to), just cuddling me.

I have the most wonderful family here with me. I don't know what I would do without them. And I don't ever want to know.

Whatever deity may exist, please, protect my children. Please. Let them find happiness in this life. I beg you.


	36. Review Responses

Heyo! So Vanished is complete, but I decided to add this so I could reply to reviews! I'll update it within a few days of each review (at most, with every update of Halfling), so check it out if you review! Love y'all, you're all amazing!

* * *

Chapter 9:

Valya 001: Well, at the start of the story, Aulelia is only 17. She's the youngest child (meaning that, like many youngest children, she is a bit sheltered, compared to the older siblings), and introverted. Aurora is more extroverted, and a middle child (in the birth order studies, they tend to be big leaders because they're often good negotiators). And Aurora also stepped up pretty young to act as a moth figure to her siblings, meaning that she grew up a little faster than Aulelia. So that's why, particularly in the beginning, Aulelia may seem a little childish compared to Aurora, because she is. And I'm glad you like the way I've formatted the story!

* * *

Chapter 15:

Valya 001: In addition, Lia was not aware she had a twin sister until after her own death. Life can be unfair sometimes. But I can't blame Aurora and Wil for never telling her, I mean, imagine how traumatizing that would be for a little kid? Her protective older siblings wouldn't want her to bear such a burden. And yep, Selene is named after her late aunt. You'll actually get to meet her in the next chapter of Halfling (Chapter 12)!

* * *

Chapter 27:

Valya 001: Yup. This is where we learn how Selene "came to be" as you put it. It's actually important, because when Selene gets to that part of her mother's journals, it'll convince her to go to the Tower of Sorrow.

* * *

Chapter 31:

Valya 001: Her mother did have a mild divinary gift, after all. Where do you think Selene got it? Her mother may not have had divinary-esque dreams, but her "gut feelings" tended to be incredibly accurate.

* * *

Chapter 35:

Valya 001: Yeah. This ended really sadly. I cried at the end of edits. In the middle of my World History class. I freaked out my friend because I don't cry, at least where anyone will see. But the sad ending is necessary.

* * *

Chapter 36:

Valya 001: Yes, it's all over. It was a shorter story, novella length at around 20,000 words. I'm super happy you enjoyed it, and hope it helps with Halfling!


End file.
